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August 2019

Study identifies barriers to statin therapy adherence

Statin therapy plays a key role in preventing cardiovascular events, but many patients don’t comply with statin therapy recommendations. According to a five-year study** from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, 50% of patients don’t adhere to the recommended statin therapy, with the highest level of discontinuation happening during the first year.

The NCBI study found the following:

  • Patients younger than 50 and 70 or older are more likely not to adhere.
  • Women are less likely to take statins as prescribed.
  • Some patients reported not understanding the reason behind or the importance of statin therapy.
  • Some patients reported having trouble remembering to take their statin.
  • Some patients preferred lifestyle changes, such as diet, to lower cholesterol.

By understanding the reasons for nonadherence, barriers can be addressed, and treatment plans can be tailored to meet a patient’s individual needs.

An FEP® reminder
The Federal Employee Program® encourages you to remind patients who are FEP members that that they have no copay for generic statin drugs when filled at a preferred pharmacy. If your FEP patients have questions about their benefits, they can contact Customer Service at 1‑800‑482‑3600 or visit www.fepblue.org.

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*CPT codes, descriptions and two-digit numeric modifiers only are copyright 2018 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
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